After Ang Lee scooped up the best director Oscar tonight, I was surprised, but not shocked, that “Crash” beat out “Brokeback Mountain” for best picture of the year. (The balloting split between best picture and best director is very rare.)
I think “Brokeback” was a slightly more mesmerizing and powerful film than “Crash” — one that will stand the test of time. So what happened?
LA Times veteran film critic Kenneth Turan: Breaking no ground. Why ‘Crash’ won, why ‘Brokeback’ lost and how the academy chose to play it safe.
In the privacy of the voting booth, as many political candidates who’ve led in polls only to lose elections have found out, people are free to act out the unspoken fears and unconscious prejudices that they would never breathe to another soul, or, likely, acknowledge to themselves. And at least this year, that acting out doomed “Brokeback Mountain.”
Turan misses the mark. What’s at work here is not some sort of closet homophobia on the part of the Hollywood set. (Please!)
The answer is far simpler. Hollywood is tired of being the whipping boy of Karl Rove and the religious right. From articles in the trade press, it appears that very many Academy members voted for “Crash” — even while believing “Brokeback” was the superior film — simply because we’re all tired of the culture wars, and of the demonization of Hollywood in red states and closeted suburbs throughout the land.
So, a politically astute vote? Probably. Was it fair? Did the vote serve and honor great art? Probably not.
These are sorry times we live in, where fear and intolerance rule the day.
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Technorati tags: oscars, academy awards, oscar, brokeback, crash
JD Lasica, founder of Inside Social Media, is also a fiction author and the co-founder of the cruise discovery engine Cruiseable. See his About page, contact JD or follow him on Twitter.
WE ARE DISGUSTED WITH THE ACADEMY FOR CHOOSING CRASH OVER BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN. SHAME SHAME SHAME.
TO THOSE MEMBERS, ENJOY YOUR WARS AND YOUR LAME PRESIDENT. GOOD LUCK TO YOU.
SADDENED IN TOKYO
i found, particularly gauling, the montage depicting the academy as a front runner for social change and the awarder of prizes to difficult movies during difficult times. i guess that was meant as a replacement for the actual award. ugh.
So … they unilaterally disarmed?
Something tells me the other side of the culture wars won’t lay down their arms as easily.
Better to say, they blinked.
Also note that this is the first time that a film that received ALL the major best picture awards, with the exception of the Chicago Film Critics, plus Best Director, was denied BP.
They chickened out.
Maybe people are just sick of being preached at?
We dont bother going to the theatre to see first-run films anymore, so theres really not much point in watching the Oscar show either. So not having seen any of the films, I cant comment on them specifically one way or another, b
Brokeback was a good film , however very over rated. The first 45 should have won a National Geographics award, but lets face it BORRRRINGGGG it was. The right and BEST film won “get over it”.
The academy should never vote on a film because of the pressures of what the MEDIA and special interest groups think, want or wish. Those knocking “Crash”, seem to either have seen it with closed eyes and minds OR never really seen it. Try again and watch the acting skills of all involved (including the little girl who was afraid and why).
Shame on the academy. Your closet homophobia and fear of Karl Rove is totally disgusting. While Crash was good, Brokeback was so much better. Here in Florida, the 538 people that gave America George Bush, applaud the academy’s decision.
Crash won because it is a great film. Give it a close watch. You’ll discover a depth that hasty critics no doubt overlook.